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Implementing Sequences in Microsoft SQL Server
When working with databases, it's often necessary to generate sequential values that are not directly tied to any table or specific data. Traditionally, methods like using GUIDs or inserting a row to retrieve the number could be employed, but these approaches have drawbacks.
Fortunately, SQL Server 2012 introduced SEQUENCE objects that provide a more efficient and structured solution for generating sequential numeric values.
How to Create a SEQUENCE in SQL Server 2012
Creating a SEQUENCE is straightforward:
CREATE SEQUENCE Schema.SequenceName AS int INCREMENT BY 1 ;
This command will create a SEQUENCE named SequenceName in the specified schema, with an initial value of 0 and an increment value of 1. Other properties of a SEQUENCE object include its start value and its maximum and minimum values.
Using a SEQUENCE in an INSERT Statement
To utilize a SEQUENCE in your code, you can declare a variable to store the next value in the sequence:
DECLARE @NextID int ; SET @NextID = NEXT VALUE FOR Schema.SequenceName;
Once you have the next value, you can use it in an INSERT statement:
INSERT Schema.Orders (OrderID, Name, Qty) VALUES (@NextID, 'Rim', 2) ;
The number generated by the SEQUENCE object will be automatically inserted into the OrderID column.
Benefits of Using Sequences
Sequences offer several advantages over alternative methods:
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